Woodville Warriors v Forestville Eagles
Sat, Apr 9, 8:15pm at St. Clair

Woodville and Forestville will go head to head on Saturday in search of back to wins to kick-start Season 2011.

The Warriors beat North by a point at Hillcrest, scoring the final five points of the game, including Gary Birmingham’s game-winning field goal with just three seconds left in regulation.

Josh Knight led the way for Woodville with 25 points.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Eagles had control of their game against the Tigers, leading by 10, before allowing their opponents back into the contest.

With half a quarter to play, the game was up for grabs, before Forestville regained control to win by 8.

Former NBL superstar Rashad Tucker was in sizzling form for the Eagles with 33 points and 19 rebounds.

Woodville and Forestville have split their meetings the last two years, with the away team winning on all four occasions.

In terms of style of play, these teams could not be more different.

Woodville put up 94 points last week whilst shooting at 48 per cent from the field and a 38 per cent clip from beyond the arc, both terrific numbers.

Meanwhile, the Eagles put up just the 80 points at 40 per cent shooting, but got the job done defensively, conceding just 72 points and holding Southern to 35 per cent shooting.

Woodville will need to improve defensively if they are to get up in this one. Do not expect them to put up 94 points against the stronger defence of Forestville, even if Zane Reeves is in the line-up.

The Warriors do not appear to have anyone who can slow down Tucker, who will have a major influence on the result of all Eagles games. Therefore, I expect the Eagles to get the win here.

Sturt Sabres v Eastern Mavericks
Sat, Apr 9, 8:15pm at Pasadena

The Sturt Sabres will meet the Eastern Mavericks at Pasadena on Saturday night, with both teams searching for their first win of the season.

The Sabres lead by 10 at quarter-time, but were downed in a tight contest by a big, strong Norwood Flames outfit, whilst the Mavericks suffered a heartbreaking one point home loss to West Adelaide, after failing to get a shot away in the final seconds.

The Mavericks trailed by 15 at three-quarter time, before coming home in a blaze of glory.

This matchup will feature a host of NBL talent, with Darren Ng and Tom Daly lining up for Sturt, and player/coach Brad Hill and Aaron Bruce starting for Eastern.

The Mavericks won their last clash with the Sabres at Pasadena, which will give them plenty of confidence.

Only 3 points separated the teams on that night, and expect this to be another close match.

Ultimately, I give this one to Sturt, but only just.

West Adelaide Bearcats v Central Districts Lions
Sat, Apr 9, 8:15pm at Port Adelaide

Last year’s bridesmaids West Adelaide will be looking to make it two from two when they take on Central Districts in Round 2.

The Bearcats looked a dominant outfit for three-quarters in the hills last week, before nearly throwing away a 15 point advantage.

The Mavericks got back to level pegging with 2.17 remaining, before West ultimately got up by 86-85.

In contrast, the Lions were 14 down to South at half-time and never really challenged thereafter, going down by 22 in the end.

The Bearcats have plenty of options at the helm, with 36er Jeff Dowdell (33 points last week), Tristan Braithwaite, Blake Truslove and Anthony Spadavecchia leading the way.

On the other hand, the Lions will again look to Daniel Carlin and Josh Kollasch, who combined for 43 points against the Panthers, for major production.

It is hard to see this being much of a contest with the bulk in class between the two sides.

Expect the ‘Cats to burst out of the blocks and win this easily.

South Adelaide Panthers v North Adelaide Rockets
Sat, Apr 9, 8:15pm at Port Adelaide

There will be two 36ers players featuring in this match, with Mitch Creek on the Panthers’ roster and Rhys Carter the key for the Rockets. Daniel Johnson will also join the Panthers but not for this game.

The Panthers got up 101-79 against Centrals last week, and will be looking to make it back to back wins.

Isaiah Omamogho, Thomas McKenzie, Shane Boal and Matthew Davies were all impressive for South, combining for 87 points.

The Rockets went down in a heart-breaker to Woodville 94-93. After trailing by nine with 4.53 to play, North scored 15 of the next 17 points, before losing the lead in the fading seconds.

For the Rockets, much of the burden falls on the shoulders of Rhys Carter, who scored 28 in the loss.

I think North will stay close for most of the game, but in the end, South will come away with an important victory.

Southern Tigers v Norwood Flames
Sun, Apr 10, 3:00pm at Morphett Vale

The Southern Tigers will be hoping to go one better this week when they take on Norwood at Morphett Vale on Sunday.

A competitive display at Wayville last Saturday saw the Tigers lead late in the match, before failing down the stretch to lose 80-72.

Marcus Robinson (18 points, 6 rebounds) was forced to sit on the sidelines for the fourth quarter, after a technical foul late in the third quarter resulted in his fifth personal.

If the Tigers are to get a win in Round 2, they will need Robinson on the court late in the match.

The Norwood Flames face a different prospect, going into this one on the back of a tough win against reigning Premiers Sturt.

The champs of 2008-09 scored just nine points in the first quarter, but bounced back from a double-digit deficit to win 68-61.

The Flames will boast an extremely tall line-up that features two former 36ers in David Cooper and Nick Hambour, giving Southern nightmares in the paint.

They also have a formidable backcourt of Todd Matthews and Andrew Webber.

Southern’s intensity was outstanding last week, but they will need to go up another gear yet if they are to pinch a win against one of the best teams in competition.

Ultimately, Norwood should get a comfortable win here.

By James Woite